Changes in the neighborhood
1. Possible new neighbors
The house on the corner, just down the street from us, has been empty for a few years now. There had been a family with two small kids and two dogs there for years, but the house fell into foreclosure and was unoccupied by anything save for For Sale signs. Within the past week, we've seen activity there, and I noticed the most recent sign, displayed in the front window, was gone. Cars have been in the driveway for several days in a row. The garage door was open the other day when dad and I drove past and there were boxes and things there, like someone was moving in. Cool. It'll be nice for that house to have residents again. Dad is hoping they'll replace the fence, a rare-for-this-neighborhood chain link one that has never really fit in. Also, the gate has been broken on it for ages.
2. The end of the Chronicle as we know it
Last week, there was a letter in the Kane County Chronicle addressing upcoming changes. While it didn't come right out and say it--for reasons that are unclear to me--it looks like it's breaking up into the parts that formed it in the first place, three separate papers that will appear once a week on Thursdays--via US mail. Weird. My understanding was that each of the Tri-Cities had its own paper back in the day, prior to us living in the area, and they combined to form the Chronicle. I am really bummed at this turn of events and am hoping for more information, especially since the letter in the paper was ambiguous about its true future; it more hinted than blatantly described, which was annoying. However, considering my schedule and general lack of time for reading the paper, this may end up being a blessing in disguise. Also, they'll still have the paper online. I like having a physical paper to read and take anywhere, but who knows. Perhaps I'm most bummed about not being able to read my comics regularly. Seeking them out hasn't worked well for me. Hmm.
3. The Citgo reopened
Finally, this morning I got a surprise. Back at the end of January, the Citgo on my way to work closed abruptly. It has been other gas stations in the past, including a Phillips 66, but it's been in continuous operation for years and long was my go-to gas station, as I passed it on my way to most of my jobs. To see it closed was stunning, especially since it seemed like a well-attended station. Consider that one of my habits is to always look at the gas price when I drive by; this is how I know that the station has stayed closed for so long. It's so ingrained that I haven't been able to break myself of that habit. Then, this morning, there was a price lit up on the sign. It's back open! Hooray! I'm happy to see it's back and hope all is well. I wonder if there was a change in ownership or something. Cars kept pulling in there despite the pumps being blocked off with tape and bags over the handles, and while stopped at the light last week I noticed the Redbox kiosk outside was gone and it looked like it was empty in the store. I honestly was surprised to see it back open, but that's fine. I'd rather it be open than closed.
The house on the corner, just down the street from us, has been empty for a few years now. There had been a family with two small kids and two dogs there for years, but the house fell into foreclosure and was unoccupied by anything save for For Sale signs. Within the past week, we've seen activity there, and I noticed the most recent sign, displayed in the front window, was gone. Cars have been in the driveway for several days in a row. The garage door was open the other day when dad and I drove past and there were boxes and things there, like someone was moving in. Cool. It'll be nice for that house to have residents again. Dad is hoping they'll replace the fence, a rare-for-this-neighborhood chain link one that has never really fit in. Also, the gate has been broken on it for ages.
2. The end of the Chronicle as we know it
Last week, there was a letter in the Kane County Chronicle addressing upcoming changes. While it didn't come right out and say it--for reasons that are unclear to me--it looks like it's breaking up into the parts that formed it in the first place, three separate papers that will appear once a week on Thursdays--via US mail. Weird. My understanding was that each of the Tri-Cities had its own paper back in the day, prior to us living in the area, and they combined to form the Chronicle. I am really bummed at this turn of events and am hoping for more information, especially since the letter in the paper was ambiguous about its true future; it more hinted than blatantly described, which was annoying. However, considering my schedule and general lack of time for reading the paper, this may end up being a blessing in disguise. Also, they'll still have the paper online. I like having a physical paper to read and take anywhere, but who knows. Perhaps I'm most bummed about not being able to read my comics regularly. Seeking them out hasn't worked well for me. Hmm.
3. The Citgo reopened
Finally, this morning I got a surprise. Back at the end of January, the Citgo on my way to work closed abruptly. It has been other gas stations in the past, including a Phillips 66, but it's been in continuous operation for years and long was my go-to gas station, as I passed it on my way to most of my jobs. To see it closed was stunning, especially since it seemed like a well-attended station. Consider that one of my habits is to always look at the gas price when I drive by; this is how I know that the station has stayed closed for so long. It's so ingrained that I haven't been able to break myself of that habit. Then, this morning, there was a price lit up on the sign. It's back open! Hooray! I'm happy to see it's back and hope all is well. I wonder if there was a change in ownership or something. Cars kept pulling in there despite the pumps being blocked off with tape and bags over the handles, and while stopped at the light last week I noticed the Redbox kiosk outside was gone and it looked like it was empty in the store. I honestly was surprised to see it back open, but that's fine. I'd rather it be open than closed.